Christianity is one of the most widespread religions on earth. It was this religion that won the hearts of many with forgiveness, love, simple laws and the promise of eternal life. Once in the Middle Ages, Christianity was divided into three branches, which are still in demand all over the world. These are Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. These three directions differ slightly from each other, but, as a rule, have common values ​​and one God.

The whole history of Christianity is divided into the time before the arrival of the Son of God on this earth and the time after his departure. God had an impeccable plan for the salvation of all mankind, which consisted in sending down his only son to the sinful human abode. For his purpose, he chose a pure and innocent girl named Maria. It was Mary who was supposed to conceive from the Holy Spirit in an immaculate way and give birth to Jesus Christ on this earth. Mary became pregnant and learned about it from an angel. When she told all this to her fiancé Joseph, he did not believe the girl, believing that she simply betrayed him and. But God was pleased that it was Joseph who became the human father and protector of Christ, so he sent the same angel to prove to him the truthfulness of Mary's words.

After 9 months, Mary gave birth to God's son in the barn on the hay. She never told anyone about who her son really was. And when Jesus, at the age of 33, began to walk the earth and preach about the kingdom of God, Mary was often with him. Needless to say, how her mother's heart suffered at the hour of the beating and murder of her son. And although they and Joseph had other children besides Jesus, they loved him more than anyone, paying tribute to the meekness, understanding and greatest mercy of their son. It was to his human mother that the Savior appeared first after his resurrection to console her broken maternal heart.

The Virgin Mary for many Christians has become a symbol of love and unquestioning humility. She always followed only those instructions that were given to her from above. Until the end of her days, she remained God-fearing and never allowed a drop of pride in her heart that it was she who had the honor to give birth and raise the Savior of all the earth.

The Catholic branch of Christianity even created some kind of cult of the Theotokos (another name for the Virgin Mary). Catholics believe that Mary was protected from birth even from the very possibility of sinning. Orthodox Christians believe that the Virgin Mary did not commit sins in her life, not because of innate holiness, but because of a correct and pious upbringing. As for the Protestants, they recognize the Virgin Mary as a sinless woman, but they consider the creation of her cult simply unacceptable, if only because she is a simple person.

The Virgin Mary is a girl who was not afraid of a difficult burden and became an example of obedience and absolute faith. Mothers and children turn to her in their prayers, as she is known as the patroness of families and the protector of children. There are many paintings and icons in which every artist wants to convey the full power of maternal love and the lightness of her sinless soul.

ANNA

20.01.2016 5 268 0 Jadaha

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According to the Gospels, Mary was a Jewish girl from Nazareth who gave birth to a child who became the founder of a new religion. For believers this is indisputable, but for atheists it is unrecognizable. But not all Christians have a cult of the Virgin. Some do not recognize her holiness.

As soon as she is not called - the Mother of God. Mother of God. Virgin Mary, Holy Virgin, Madonna... In fact, a simple Jewish girl from Nazareth named Miriam is one of the most revered saints. She is known not only in Christianity, but also in Islam under the name of Seide Mariam, even a separate sura No. 19 is dedicated to her.

Everything we know about Mary comes from the Bible, Koran, Talmud and other religious works. No historical data on the existence of this person has been preserved.

biography

Mary was a relative of Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah, a priest of the Avian line, a descendant of Aaron, from the tribe of Levi. She resided in Nazareth in the Galilee, presumably with her parents.

Tradition speaks of Mary's upbringing in an atmosphere of special ritual purity and of "bringing her into the temple" when Mary was 3 years old: lit [lanterns] so that the Child does not turn back, and so that She loves the temple of the Lord in her heart.

In the Temple, Mary was met by the high priest (Orthodox tradition believes that it was Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist) with many priests. Parents put Mary on the first rung of the stairs that led to the entrance to the Temple. According to the gospel of pseudo-Matthew:

“... when She was placed in front of the temple of the Lord, She ran up fifteen steps, without looking back and without calling her parents, as children usually do. And all were filled with astonishment at the sight of this, and the priests of the temple were astonished.”

Then, according to legend, the high priest, by inspiration from above, introduced the Virgin Mary into the Holy of Holies - the inner part of the temple, in which the Ark of the Covenant was located. Of all the people, the high priest entered there only once a year.

At the temple, Mary lived and was brought up with other children, studied the Holy Scriptures, did needlework and prayed. However, upon reaching the age of majority (12 years old), she could not stay at the temple, and a husband was chosen for her by the traditional rite. Her husband was the carpenter Joseph. Then the Annunciation happened - the archangel Gabriel, sent by God, informed Mary about the impending immaculate birth of the Savior from her.

The Bible tells us that when Joseph found out about Mary's pregnancy, he almost broke off the engagement, but then an angel appeared to him in a dream and said to him: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take your wife Mary into your house, because she pregnant by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from sins.” After that, Joseph woke up and did as the angel told him. He took his wife to his house. completing the wedding ceremony.

Interestingly, Christian dogma says that Mary was virgin before, during and even after the birth of Christ. This doctrine, or "post partum", denied by Tertullian and Jovinian, was defended by later orthodoxies, as a result of which the term "Eternal Virgin" was developed, fixed at the Fifth Ecumenical Council in Constantinople.

In the year of the birth of Jesus, at the behest of Emperor Augustus, a census was conducted in the country. For this, all residents had to return to their native places, where they had not lived by that time. Joseph and his family went to their hometown of Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, there was no room in the inn, and they had to stay in the cattle den where Jesus was born.

Eight days later, the baby was circumcised and given the name Jesus. When the days of their purification under the law of Moses ended, they brought the child to the temple of Jerusalem in accordance with the requirements for the firstborn prescribed in the law of Moses. Then they returned to Bethlehem, and after visiting the Magi, the whole family, fleeing persecution, fled to Egypt. They returned to Nazareth only after the death of King Herod.

When the evangelists describe the events of the life of Jesus Christ, the virgin Mary is mentioned as being present at the marriage in Cana of Galilee. For some time she was with her son in Capernaum.

The Bible is somewhat contradictory about the relationship between Mary and Jesus. On the one hand, they had to be good, but on the other hand, Jesus did not want to see her and did not help during one of his sermons: “And the Mother and His brothers came to Him, and could not come to Him because of the people. And let Him know: Your Mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see You. He answered and said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it” (Luke 8:19-21).

On Golgotha, the Mother of God stood near the cross. The dying Christ entrusted his mother to the apostle John. Only in these two gospel episodes (John 2:4; John 19:26) is Jesus' personal appeal to Mary, but he does not call her a mother, but a woman. He calls her mother only once, but not his own, but his disciple (John) in Jn. 19:27: “Then he says to the disciple: behold, your mother!”.

The Acts of the Holy Apostles does not indicate whether the Virgin Mary was even on the day of Pentecost among the apostles, when the Holy Spirit descended on them in the form of fiery tongues.

Orthodox theologians answer in the negative, believing that the Holy Spirit dwelt on the Virgin Mary before.

How her old age passed and where her life ended is not exactly known. It is believed that she died in Jerusalem or Ephesus 12 years after the ascension of Christ. According to Tradition, Mary left this world in 48. Tradition holds that the apostles from all over the world managed to come to the deathbed of the Mother of God, with the exception of the Apostle Thomas, who arrived three days later and did not find the Mother of God alive. At his request, her tomb was opened, but there were only fragrant shrouds. Christians believe that Mary's death was followed by her ascension, and at the time of her death, Jesus himself appeared with a host of heavenly powers after her soul.

This is known from several apocrypha: “The Tale of the Assumption of the Virgin” by Pseudo-John the Theologian (originated in the middle of the 5th century or later), “On the Exodus of the Virgin Mary” by Pseudo-Meliton of Sardis (not earlier than the 4th century), the work of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, "Word of John, Archbishop of Thessalonica". All the listed apocrypha are rather late (5th-6th centuries) and differ from each other in content. Therefore, not all of their content was accepted by the Church, but only the main idea that the Virgin Mary reposed blissfully and her soul was received by Christ.

Reverence. Virgin Mary of the Early Christians

The cult of the Virgin did not arise immediately. Only a few centuries after her death do the first evidence of her veneration appear. The first such evidence is the presence of her images in the Roman catacombs, where Christians performed worship and hid from persecution. The first frescoes and images of the Virgin Mary were discovered in the catacombs (frescoes of Kimeterius Priscilla, “Prophet Balaam in front of Mary breastfeeding the baby”, “Adoration of the Magi” and others). These frescoes and images are still antique in nature.

Christians

The Orthodox veneration of the Mother of God originates from her Byzantine cult, the center of which was Constantinople. On May 11, 330, Constantine the Great officially moved the capital of the empire and dedicated New Rome to the Most Holy Theotokos. This dedication is reflected in the mosaic of the southern entrance to the Hagia Sophia, which depicts the Virgin on the throne with the Child in her arms, Constantine the Great and Justinian the Great are standing on both sides. The first dedicates Constantinople to Christ and the Mother of God, and the second the main church of the empire, the church of Hagia Sophia. The final decision on the veneration of the Mother of God was made in 431 by the Third Ecumenical Council.

In the Catholic world, the Mother of God, under the influence of folklore and some pagan traditions in the early and middle Middle Ages, is the personification of nature, the goddess of the mother, the first manifestation of paradise, transfigured nature. From here came the tradition of depicting the Madonna among nature: “Madonna of Humility”, where the Madonna sits on the ground among flowers, “Madonna in a strawberry patch”, etc.

The legend about Theophilus, which arose in the 13th century in the Byzantine Empire, but became especially popular in Western Europe, in particular in France, tells of a young man who was in the service of a bishop. He, tired of the hardships of life, sold his soul to the devil, and thus made a quick career, but repented and turned to Mary for help, who took Theophilus's receipt from the devil.

But not in all Christian churches there is a cult of the Virgin. Protestant churches believe that the veneration of the Virgin Mary is contrary to the main postulate of the Reformation - excluding any mediators between God and man. Nevertheless, Martin Luther still recognized the ever-virginity of Mary and even the possibility of her intercession before God. The veneration of some of the Mother of God holidays was preserved in Lutheranism until the Enlightenment. However, Ulrich Zwingli already rejected the possibility of praying to the Mother of God, but the most resolute opponent of her veneration was John Calvin, who considered it idolatry, so it died out quite quickly in the Swiss Reformation.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ and that she conceived him immaculately. Since they consider Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, but not Almighty God, therefore they do not consider Mary the Mother of God. They believe that Christians should only pray to God, not to Mary.

Mary in Islam

In Islam, Mary is regarded as the virgin mother of the prophet Isa. It is written about her in the Qur'an, in Surah Mariam. This is the only sura of the Qur'an named after a woman. It tells the story of Mary and Jesus according to the Islamic view.

Dear friend!

You write: “Why is it emphasized in the Gospel that Jesus is the firstborn? I heard that disputes are still going on to this day - did Mary have children yet or not?

The word "Firstborn" is used here because it was very important to the "law". We now attach little importance to this in relation to our children, because. we are already living in the time of grace, and not of the law. For the firstborn, there are certain promises, as well as many precepts of the "law", for example, that he be consecrated to the Lord, that he be the heir of his father's property, etc. To emphasize this, this term is used in the Gospel in relation to Jesus Christ, the only child of the Virgin Mary. By the way, I think this word was used, perhaps also to indicate the onset of the time of unbelief, when, just looking at this word and forgetting about the rest of the evidence of the word of God, many people will assert that the Mother of God, like other Jewish women, had a lot of children.

The Virgin Mary, at the suggestion of the Archangel Gabriel to Her about the incarnation-birth of God from Her into the human world, perplexed, exclaims: "How can this be if I don't know my husband ?!" (Luke 1:34).
How can a female person say such a thing, even if she was still a very small girl? After all, the Angel did not say when this should happen, so every girl will agree that a son may someday be born to her. However, the Blessed Virgin claims that this is impossible. Why? She is Jewish, and among the Jews, a healthy woman must have given birth to children. Cases of Nazirites (a vow of celibacy) were for men, but in the history of the Jews there was no case of offering God a similar sacrifice from a woman. In addition, by that time the Virgin Mary was already betrothed to Joseph for marriage. How can such words come from the lips of a girl betrothed to her husband? - A contradiction to both the law and the natural course of events under the circumstances!
In the near future, Joseph was going to bring “the Virgin betrothed to him” (Luke 1:27), “Mary his wife” (Mt. 1:20) into his house. When can a married woman say such a thing? - only when this is not possible: for example, due to illness or for some reason that does not allow physical contact with her husband. The first one disappears, because The Virgin Mary was healthy, so the second remains. What could be the reason that does not allow the physical contact of a deeply religious and law-obeying wife with her husband? - only a mutual vow to God of a virgin life in marriage. That. Natural reflection leads us to the conviction that the Blessed Virgin, long before her marriage, gave Herself to God as a sacrifice, consecrating Her virginity to Him. God accepted this sacrifice, because. Archangel Gabriel not only does not contradict this exclamation of the Blessed Virgin, but also explains to Her that God, without violating Her vow of chastity, will do this by the power of the Holy Spirit at His descent upon Her. The fact that the Blessed Virgin confidently says such a thing to a celestial being who is leading even about the secret affairs of a person convinces us of the thought that Joseph also decided to lead a sexless married life, i.e. this was a mutual decision of the husband Joseph and the wife Mary: the “righteous one” (Mt. 1:19) and the Holy Virgin (Mt. 1:23).

Reading carefully the Gospels, we see that before Jesus went out to preach, His brothers and sisters were silent. Well, how could one keep silent about this in the story that when Jesus was already 12 years old, they went to Jerusalem every year (Luke 2:41-51): what is this? - leaving children other than Jesus at home?

The second inconsistency with this false opinion (that Mary and Joseph had children in common): if in the first 12 years the Virgin Mary and Joseph did not have children yet, and they appeared later, then the eldest of the other, at least six children they (four sons and at least two daughters) were no more than 17 years old when Jesus went out to preach. It is clear from the Gospels that His Mother followed Him. And how would that be possible for the mother of six more minor children?! (not to mention the fact that according to Jewish law, and the Virgin Mary observed it, this would be impossible at all!).

Another significant point: the brothers and sisters, accompanied by the Virgin Mary, came to take Jesus with them (Mark 3:32), about whom they said "that He went out of Himself" (Mark 3:21). Who would have thought of taking six young children with them as physical force to protect a strong adult man?

Another point: the Jews in Nazareth, talking about Jesus, said: "Isn't this Joseph the son?" (Luke 4:22), "and His sisters are not all among us?" (Matthew 13:56). If these were His own sisters, then the eldest of them would be no more than 12 years old. The words "His sisters are all among us" indicate that they were already married, and this would be impossible for law-abiding Jews at that age. In addition, the words “and His sisters are not ALL among us?” indicate that there were at least three sisters, because about two persons they never say "they are all between us" - rather: "both are here." And if so, then the youngest of the sisters would be less than 11 years old, which means that she could not be separated from her mother in any way, even if she was betrothed to someone from childhood. If we assume that the sisters were older than the brothers, then the eldest of them (considering that there were at least three of them) would be no more than 17 years old, which means that the youngest would be no more than 14 years old, which is also not enough for marriage. The brothers then, even if they differed by one year, would be from 13 to 9 years old. It turns out that "James the Younger" (Mk.15:40), as the Gospel calls the elder brother of Jesus (Mt.13:55) (to distinguish him from Apostle James, the brother of Apostle John, among the apostles, his elder, election, so, perhaps, by age) and his brother the apostle Jude (Acts 1:13; Jude 1:1; Gal. 1:19) no later than 3 years later, were made apostles by the Lord, which is impossible , because by that time they would have been no more than 16 and 12 years old.

One more thing: Jesus, Who loved children very much, how could He allow Himself to drag His young sisters and brothers behind Him for three and a half years, exposing them, among other things, to physical danger, because the Jews were ready to do anything to harm Him .

And, finally, a completely inexplicable fact for the opinion about the existence of native "brothers and sisters" of the Lord Jesus Christ is the entrustment of His Mother to the care of St. John. How could the Lord, who came "not to break, but to fulfill" (Mt. 5:17) the law that He once gave to Israel through Moses, could break it by giving their mother to another family while the brothers and sisters were alive?

I think that it is possible to bring more arguments against the opinion about the "native" brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, if we take this seriously. I've only said the first thing that came to my mind here.

Undoubtedly, an important argument is the dogma of the Catholic Church "On the Immaculate Conception" of the Blessed Virgin Mary the Mother of God.
The Blessed Virgin herself, having appeared in Lourdes (03/25/1858), to the question of the girl Bernardette about how she could convince her priest of the fidelity of the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her, answered: "I am the Immaculate Conception."
“New Eve,” the whole Holy Ecumenical Church calls the Virgin Mary the Mother of God, but how could she be called that if the Mother of God was inferior to the primordial Eve in the purity of the materialization of the body? "Immaculate Conception" is the equivalent of the name "New Eve".
By the way, Her other name is “Ever-Virgin”, which means “Never Violated Virginity, Purity and Chastity”, and, therefore, “Never Violated Integrity”, for how could one call Her Ever-Virgin if She was conceived with the seal of the depravity of sin that entered the world through the first-born man (called "original sin" by modern theology), i.e. if there were even a moment when her body was vicious, and therefore not fully virgin?.
Well, if the Mother of God is the Ever-Virgin, Ever-Immaculate, then She could in no way, remaining such, give the world children with the depravity of sin, uniting bodily with a man conceived with sin, who entered his nature through the first-born man.

The most important argument, however, is that the Mother of God gave birth to the only child, who is the God-Man Jesus Christ, the Son of God and God, who created heaven and earth, is the Tradition and faith of the Holy Church, expressed in Her dogmas, as well as the testimony of the Holy Spirit by faith in the heart of a person who loves the Mother of God.
Yes, there are those who think otherwise. In my personal experience, the opinion of these people is a false dogma, implanted in their minds by their spiritual authorities and uncontrollably accepted by them on faith. I feel sorry for them, for in this way they close the gifts of grace to themselves. May the Lord enlighten them!

I want to make one important remark about the method of obtaining conclusions like the above.
One day my good friend asked me a good QUESTION: "Reading an article:<Могла ли Божья Матерь иметь детей кроме Иисуса?>, I involuntarily thought how the same words written in black and white can be read differently by people. Phrase:<вот Матерь Твоя и братья Твои стоят вне, желая говорить с Тобою>I take it the way it's written. You see a different meaning in them and put other concepts into them.

ANSWER: You are right, when something is read as a narrative, then every person, including me, reads it the way you read it. But when a person wants to explore a certain fragment from what he has read, he reads it several times along with the passages accompanying it, trying to see what he has focused on in context with other parts of the entire story. In this way, consequences are obtained not only from the text itself, but, as they say, from what appears between the lines.
Here, for example, in the passage you indicated: after all, the Mother of God, along with the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, did not just come to talk with Jesus, but because people “said that He had gone out of Himself” (a parallel passage in another Gospel). Considering that the Jews conspired against Jesus, it is easy to understand that this intrigue was their business. If this opinion had taken root among the people, Jesus Christ could have been declared insane and forcibly isolated from society, as is done now everywhere. Thus, the motive of this action (“they came to talk with Jesus”) on the part of the closest relatives of Jesus Christ is revealed: they wanted to inform Him about the intrigue of the Jews and, taking Him into the family circle, protect Him from unexpected violent isolation from the Jewish authorities.

True God.

Reviews

The article is completely illogical and replete with inadequate reasoning

“Thus, natural reflection leads us to the conviction that the Blessed Virgin, long before her marriage, gave Herself to God as a sacrifice, consecrating Her virginity to Him. God accepted this sacrifice, because the Archangel Gabriel not only did not contradict this exclamation of the Most Holy Virgin, but also explains to Her that God, without violating Her vow of chastity, will do this by the power of the Holy Spirit when He descends on Her. Joseph also decided to lead a sexless married life, i.e. it was a mutual decision of husband Joseph and wife Mary: “the righteous” (Mt. 1.19) and the Holy Virgin (Mt. 1.23) "====== ===========

Nonsense. Like the rest of the conclusions of the article, far-fetched, moreover, donkey .. Convenient for noodles ... Poor Joseph! :))

SW. supporters of such an idea, think about this: whoever takes a vow of virginity will NEVER start a family! Just don't get married! Marriage is cohabitation, the physical cohabitation of husband and wife.

Jesus "dragged" his mother and sisters behind him, and therefore, they could not be minors, but they had to be adults, older than Jesus, otherwise they would not have endured the hardships of "dragling" === What makes you think?! They were just witnesses of his ministry, that He was going back and forth during the service period. Why should they "trail" behind Him, refusing to live in their usual home? ....

"His sisters are all between us" means they were all already married "==== Why does the dog need a fifth paw, uv.author? Why draw absolutely unjustified conclusions? "His sisters are all between us" means "we know his sisters", in in the context of "where did He get all his miraculous abilities, we know his family, why is He different from them?" - this is what these words "his sisters are all between us" mean, and not that they are all married between us ...

Instructing John to become the son of Mary does not mean at all that all his brothers and sisters at the time when Jesus said this on the Cross were already dead, and there was no one to take care of their mother .. No. But He united them, John and Mary in SPIRITUAL bonds, as spiritually mother and son, so that John would comfort Mary, her heart, in filial love, after a mournful loss. In addition, we know that John lived a long life and survived all the apostles and many Christians - the first disciples who fell victim to the persecution of the church. I could have watched His mother, when everyone else had already been killed, until her natural death ..

And other strange fabrications of the article ... as well as the fables about Mary themselves. No logic, no reliance on the gospel teachings.

"Virgin Mary Syndrome"

The Virgin Maria Career: Saint
Birth: Israel
... Maria could not be like everyone else! She was chosen by God for a special mission. And she conveyed the high concept of this legendary mission - to be the Mother of the Son of God until her very death. I will add that after Her Assumption, they began to distribute property to the poor. They found only a handful of silver coins, two dresses and a belt.

Maybe I would not have dared to scribble this article under any circumstances - so great is the responsibility and the boundless feeling of admiration for this Woman that I feel now (in adulthood, consciously and meaningfully, more than ever), if it were not for a controversy that arose quite inadvertently the other day. One must think that I would have been recognized as the losing side in it if there had been some other member of the Orthodox Church besides me and my friend at this dispute. Why? Yes, because to the categorical statement of my friend - by faith - a Baptist: "Mary, who gave birth to Christ the Savior, was like everyone else and was not distinguished by special holiness, I preferred not to utter a word.

Of course, it was necessary to debate, substantiate, recall the apocrypha, holy legends, traditions, canons of Orthodoxy, but for some reason I remembered who knows when and where I read: “He is right who is wisely silent, keeping the covenants in his heart” By the way, She did once upon a time, aptly, in addition, having put into a sympathetic hiding place the words of God's messenger about the birth of Her Baby, the one that will save the World. It was extremely long time ago. Since then, two centuries have passed.

But disputes about the Sacrament of this Birth, about the mystery of the life of the Woman who gave His World, do not subside until this time. Although, it would seem, what is the secret? Everything is painted and described a long time ago, in the most important and famous Book of the World and in thousands of lesser known ones; poetic lines about her have become the heights of poetry, musical hymns in her honor are exemplary canons of the classics, anyone knows her face, moreover, the most petty inhabitant of the Planet

Although each of the painters, icon painters had his own, unique, special By the way, isn’t this what proves the difference of the Virgin to everyone, Her chosenness by God? ..

So who was Mary, chosen for the high mission of the birth of the Redeemer? Holy, inaccessible, incomprehensible to others, or like everyone else, ordinary, and prayers to her (according to the assertion, it is appropriate to say, all of many and many representatives of new religious movements) are worth nothing, because she does not even have the favor of her chosen one. Son! (They refer to the lines of the same Gospel). I won't debate. I can easily tell you what I know. I will convey to you what I think. And then - you think.

We find information about her early years in the book "Jacob's Tale of the Life of Mary". It is written in detail and thoroughly and there is no reason not to rely on it.

The family of Mary was famous for its high origin - from King David - piety and learning. In modern terms, Maria was born into a noble family. She was a long-awaited, implored child. Her mother, Anna, spent time in long prayers, asking the Almighty to grant her a child. Together with her husband, Joachim, Anna retired to the desert and there, in a many-day fast, indulged in reflections and prayers. The desire of a child-loving and patient spouse, diligent in faith and hope, was rewarded with the expectation of a child. Anna could not help but be afraid for his birth - she was already at an advanced age and made a vow to the Lord that, in the event of a favorable resolution, she would devote her only child to serving Him. Joachim knew from a prophetic vision (at that time this happened to pious people, not like today!), That it would not be easy for an ordinary child to be born to him, but especially blessed, wonderful, for whom a tall road was intended. Joachim did not tell his wife about this: for the time being, so as not to disturb, but, apparently, especially zealously, as the pope followed the upbringing of the desired daughter in the spirit of faith and humility.

There is a tale that when Mary reached the age of six months, her mother tried to get her on her feet. The child walked seven steps and returned to her arms. Anna exclaimed, realizing that the prediction of the angel of God was coming true: "As the Lord my God lives! You will not walk on the earth, while I will not lead you into the Temple of the Lord!" The child was always next to his mother, and nannies with an impeccable reputation took care of him: girls from especially believing families known for piety. When she was a year old, the blessing of the church and the priest was pronounced over her, which was done over all the children at that time. Maria amazed those around her with her kind-heartedness, her memory and intelligence, unusual for a tiny child.

Therefore, Joachim wanted, as it was not forbidden, to quickly realize the vow of giving his daughter to God, but Anna begged her husband not to separate her from her for another year. Wise parents began to prepare the child ahead of time for initiation into the cathedral, for service in it.

In her third autumn from birth (She was born on September 8), little Miriam - this is exactly how her name sounds in Hebrew, which means: "exalted" - together with her parents entered the cathedral, independently overcoming all 15 steep steps! Probably at the same time she said her first big prayer. For all relatives and friends of Joachim and Anna, the Day of the introduction and consecration of Mary into the cathedral turned into a celebration, since her family enjoyed great respect and love in Nazareth.

Mary's parents overcame all the difficulties of the journey to Jerusalem in order to fulfill their Vow. (It took three days to go.) After the three-year-old Mary entered the cathedral, the high priest Zacharias assigned her a special place for prayer, as a rule, women were not allowed there, but a withdrawal was made for her.

Mary remained at the temple, surrounded by the caring care of the elders and especially revered believing women. She was engaged in needlework, skillfully embroidered clothes, bedspreads and various decorations for the church, including church vestments of priests, which was not trusted to everyone. Her intelligence and good-heartedness, diligence in prayers amazed and delighted many who were zealous in the faith. She was loved frankly and sincerely, older friends taught her the skillful craft of weaving, sorted out the pages of sacred books with her.

At the age of 14 - by that time Mary had already remained an orphan (her parents had died in advanced years) - the high priest of the temple called Mary to him and said that, according to the law adopted among the Jews, Mary should prefer herself a life partner, get married, organize housing, family and leave the cathedral.

It was all the more fitting for her, according to the understanding of the spiritual mentor, that Mary was descended, just from the family of David, from the very branch from which the Messiah, the Savior, should appear.

In response to this, the constantly respectful and humble young lady suddenly objected to the priest that she had dedicated her Life to the Lord, had taken a vow of celibacy and should exist at the church or not have a family. The bewildered high priest tried for some time to chat Mary, but the vow was a sacred law for the Jews, and he abandoned his attempts, making a more wise decision: to transfer Mary into the hands, under the protection of a noble, known for a righteous life, the one who would be the defender of Mary in the face of God and people. They gathered a council among the priests, who respected both Mary herself and her family, and the shown firmness of character. It was decided to read the prayer diligently so that God would indicate the most correct conclusion. Wisdom entered the heart of the High Priest Zechariah - Mary's strict and attentive mentor - and according to the voice of his heart, at the command of God, he ordered unmarried men from the tribe of Judah, from the house of David, to be sent away and bring his staffs with him.

After 12 pious men from the tribe of David were selected in the temple of God (completely older than Mary, widowers, with children), Zechariah entered the sanctuary with their rods, prayed for a long time and left the rods until morning in the temple. When they entered the next beginning of the day - to see if there was any sign of the Lord for making a decision - they saw that the staff of Joseph, a distant relative of Mary, miraculously blossomed: leaves appeared on it. Joseph by that time was a deep old man of 80 years old, having a large family, adult children, famous for his skillful craft of a carpenter, builder of dwellings for people, kind and meek disposition, compassionate heart, piety and diligence in faith. Usually calm and calm, he began to argue against the will of the Council of High Priests, saying that he was old, burdened with a family and did not want to be a burden for a young and flourishing girl and a laughingstock for the inhabitants of Nazareth. Zechariah, in response, severely reprimanded him, recalling the fate of those who did not submit to the will of God: the soil parted under their feet, collapsed. Zechariah urged Joseph to humble his native heart and accept Mary under the protection of his family and home, as the ceremony of betrothal suggests (which was immediately completed through prayer).

Who knows, perhaps Joseph relented, seeing the tears of Mary, who would have nowhere to lay her head in case of refusal, introduced his daughters in her place and held out his hand to the girl betrothed to him to set off together with her to a distant city named Nazareth.

A poor carpenter introduced into his noble, but almost impoverished family, a girl from the temple, accustomed not to hard work, but to an elegant craft - needlework, sewing with gold and beads, reading sacred books, and solitude. A girl who was fit for him not only as a daughter, but also as a granddaughter - by age! He was surprised at the strange twists of fate and the Will of Heaven, but he was even more surprised at the humility and firmness of the Spirit, joy, moreover, that Mary accepted her lot. She followed him obediently, but harshly, never doubting for a moment that that very humble and meek, pure-hearted uncle would be her best protector and patron.

She apparently got up early in order to feed a large family, say the morning prayer with everyone, prepare a meal for dinner, walk on water, embroider, weave, meet Joseph and his tired sons at the doorstep in the evening, heat the water so that they could wash off the sweat and dirt from their faces and hands - the work of a carpenter is hard! She prayed a lot, zealously and fervently for the well-being of the family that gave her shelter and care, for well-being, so that she could soon see the Messiah when He comes into the World.

In her modesty, right up to the bringing of the Good News to Her, she could not comprehend the words of the prophet Isaiah: "Behold the Virgin shall conceive in the womb," although she often re-read them. Yes, and which of the mortals is given to comprehend the deepest sense of the meaning of these seemingly simple words: "And you will conceive in the womb and give birth to a Son and call His name - Jesus .. And he will be huge and will be called the Son of the Most High and the Lord God will give Him the throne of David and reign forever and his kingdom will have no end"?

She did not doubt these strange words of the messenger of God Gabriel, and at the end of his conversation with him, she only said: "I am the servant of the Lord. May it be for me according to Your Word!" She rejected that outward shame, the one that would have fallen on Her if Joseph had not given Her protection, she did not think that in the event of Joseph's anger, she could be stoned, according to the ancient custom. She bowed her head and humbly, but at the same time with dignity, said: I am the servant of the Lord.

reproach and humiliation, in the name of the fulfillment of your words!").

Mary did not tell Joseph about the visit of the messenger of God and the special Grace she received. She (on the advice of the messenger) went on a long path to a distant relative, Elizabeth, in order to get spiritual support and comfort from her and congratulate her on the expectation of a child. Mary herself was a prayed-for miracle for her parents, as a result of which she rejoiced with all her heart for Elizabeth, who, despite her age, would find the grace of God's gift in a child. “So you will know that nothing is impossible for God!” she recalled the words of Gabriel along the way. And Mary learned this, due to the fact that Elizabeth greeted her on the threshold of the house with words of joy and gratitude for the future - the birth of Mary the Savior. Her last doubts disappeared in the truthfulness of the prophecies.

Joseph kept them. There were such contradictions in his soul that he decided to finally free Mary from himself, having learned that she was expecting a child. But indulging in prayer and reflection, he changed his mind. Traditions and biblical books say that Joseph had a prophetic dream - a chatter with an angel, where it was indicated to him that Mary was pure before him, like mountain moisture, and he should protect and protect her, like a holy betrothed. * (so, it is appropriate to say, and calls it the Church).

Soon such times came that there was no time for Joseph and Mary to think and indulge in doubts: it was necessary to save the unborn child. King Herod, who also read the sacred books of the prophets, but interpreted everything wrongly because of the fear of dropping the top - he was so frightened by the Coming of the future King of the Earth! - issued a decree on a general census of the population, hoping in this way to know in advance about the birth of the mysterious Messiah, which would encroach on his political elite. In Bethlehem, the genealogical lists of the royal family of David, to which Jesus belonged, were kept.

As law-abiding subjects, Mary and Joseph went to that very tiddly and calm city, as snow on the head became famous in the sacred Books, in the history of mankind. When Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, they did not find a place in the hotel, since all the places were occupied by strangers from other cities and villages.

"Without grumbling they retreated from human dwellings and sought shelter in the vicinity of the city" - it is written in one of the books about Joseph and Mary.

Not far from the gate, on the south side of Bethlehem, two hundred paces from the spring of King David, in the middle of rocky rocks, there is a cave in which shepherds with their flocks hid from bad weather and wind. Inside the cave there is a depression serving as a nursery for animals. In this deep cave, far from the bustle, talk, noise, tired travelers stopped to rest.

In addition, Joseph noticed that Mary does not need an easy rest - her hour comes to become a Mother. Joseph recalled with surprise that in the books of the Old Testament there was a prophecy about the place of birth: "He will dwell in a high, strong stone, his refuge is impregnable rocks."

Joseph was embarrassed and calmed down, for the appearance of the Child remained for him the deepest spiritual mystery. He experienced, apparently, what every agent of the strong half of humanity experiences at such an event as the appearance of the Child. Mary was as excited as Joseph. But so strong was her self-control, her humility before the will of Heaven, that she found the strength not to grumble at the darkness of the cave, at the straw, at the frost and the unknown in the future! She managed to encourage and calm Joseph, with her own hands swaddled and laid the Baby in the manger.

The birth of Jesus went unnoticed, but not for everyone. What happened at midnight was not unknown to Heaven. God revealed the secret of the birth of His Perfect Son to the shepherds near the Oder pillar in the valley of Bethlehem. Once upon a time, David pastured the flocks there. All this, of course, has a solid meaning: the King of Heaven and the Savior of the World, who came "Not for the Righteous, but for sinners" is born in a cave - according to the old - a den - in mud, on straw. And the first to know about him are not nobles and kings, but simple poor shepherds. Those to whom he came to serve and preach.

Strange at times for human perception is the harmony of the universe, in which everything is interconnected and friendly with each other..

The shepherds, having received such a message as the only one, decided to go to Bethlehem and bow to the Infant, born for the Salvation of the World. The first gifts for Christ were the love and warmth of motherly hands and the heartfelt admiration and warmth of those who came to rejoice at his birth. Maria was shocked to see the shepherds who came from somewhere unknown and fell on their knees in front of a fragile child.

To her timid questions about how they knew everything, the shepherds said that the Angel of the Lord had revealed this secret to them. They were the first who thanked Mary for the appearance of a wonderful child, glorified her Motherhood. Maybe then, for the first time, She began to realize the responsibility and importance of the mission entrusted to Her. One can only imagine how many doubts arose in Her soul: will she manage, or will she be able to? Soon, following the shepherds, the sorcerers appeared in the cave - wise men and soothsayers, reading old books, who brought incense - incense, gold and myrrh - as a Gift to the King of the World - Gifts offered only to the great from birth! To the questions of the astonished Mary and Joseph, they answered that they were led to them by the wonderful star of Bethlehem, which had already appeared in the sky a long time ago, foreshadowing a great curiosity. This star was more like a comet when compared with modern descriptions of celestial bodies. For Eastern sages, it is appropriate to say, the science of observing stellar bodies has been known for a long time, and they learned about the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem from the book of the prophet Vallaam, written 140 years before the birth of Jesus ..

And King Herod told them about it. He then hoped with their help to track down the location of the birth of Jesus and then kill the baby. But the Magi left without saying a word to Herod, as they were wise and pure in heart. They returned to their countries: Persia, Ethiopia, Chaldea and spread throughout the world the long-awaited news that the Savior had appeared as a standard gentleman, but with Divine Providence.

Mary and Joseph, having passed the census, returned again to their humble, humble dwelling, but with a baby in their arms, named Jesus. They performed the rite of circumcision over him, the one that was due according to the ancient law of Moses, and after forty days smoothly Mary carried him to the church for the first blessing. Here another test awaited Her, which she endured with honor. At the entrance, the pious elder Simeon met her, carefully took the Son from Her hands, and said prophetically that his personality should rejoice: the Savior came to Earth, but he was born "for the fall and the uprising of many in Israel, as it is said in the sign, and the blade will pierce your very soul when the thoughts of many hearts are revealed!" Perhaps much was revealed to Mary during her conversation with the messenger of God, and she remembered this when she heard the words of Simenon, but she did not express her feelings in any way, although she went cold inside. Then the initial time the blade pierced her soul.

And then new trials came: the enraged King Herod, without waiting for the Magi and trying in vain to find the baby who threatened his crown and throne, issued a decree on the destruction of all babies - boys under two years of age !! A bloody massacre began in the cities and villages.

Fulfilling the will of the Roman governor, the soldiers broke into houses, searched them, and killed small children right in front of shocked mothers and relatives. Many mothers went crazy, and if they tried not to offend the child, then they were killed right there, on the spot. So many families died. Mary and Joseph thought in horror: how should they be, how to save the child ?! Addressed as

invariably, to prayers, asking the Lord to strengthen their spiritual and bodily strength. And according to Divine Providence, they set off in the middle of the night to Egypt, hoping to take refuge there and shelter a child close from Death. What did Mary feel under the stars, sitting on a little donkey and holding the baby tightly to her? All this remained unknown to us, like much of what happened in her soul.

She must have silently prayed, wrapping the Baby warmer and begging Joseph to be careful: the paths were narrow and difficult, and Joseph was full of years! They got tired in one spirit and often stopped.

There are traces of their journey to Egypt: a source of healing waters at the place of the first halt, a tall Persis tree that heals various diseases by applying a piece of bark or a leaf to a sore spot. It bowed its branches before Christ when Mary approached him, hoping to find shade and protection from the heat. In the village of Matarié, north of Cairo, the travelers also sought refuge. and the wind, while Joseph sought lodging for the night in the village. Until now, a lamp in honor of Mary is lit in the crevice, and pilgrims come to this location. It is impossible to determine exactly how long Mary and Joseph lived in Egypt. According to some legends: 2-3 years, according to others, from five to seven years. One thing is fair, they

remained there until the death of King Herod and only then decided to return. (The death of Herod was terrible: his whole body was covered with purulent wounds, the body seemed to rot alive and none of the best doctors called to him could help. He died alone, since the courtiers left him, disdaining to approach the ugly patient. And Christians and non-Christians later reasoned that such torment was a punishment for the blood of innocent babies.This is so, by the way.)

Upon the return of Joseph and Mary to Nazareth, they spent nearly thirty years in obscurity, peacefully living in prayer and labor. Joseph continued his close occupation, from the age of 12 Jesus began to help him, and with such zeal and humility that everyone called him a tekton and a son of a tekton * (* a tekton-carpenter, a skilled woodworker). And Joseph loved Jesus so much and took care of him that Mary herself called the elder the father of her Son! Mary maintained the building, took care of the housework, and at times looked with alarm at her Son, who loved to sit by the fire in the evenings and be silent. About what? She could only think. One can imagine how careful and quiet work Mary put into His upbringing, if in the gospel texts a line has survived that in Nazareth everyone, without exception, loved the Son of Joseph, although they considered him an ordinary young man. Everyday Nazarene existence gave few reasons to expect a miracle. After the mysterious disappearance of Jesus in the temple for three days and His, no less mysterious, answer to the mild reproaches of the mother and father: “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I should be in the possessions of My Father?” - when, maybe , everything stirred in the soul of Mary, - She again had to hide the promises in her heart. According to the subtle remark of Francois Mauriac: "The child grew up, became a young man, an adult. He was not great, he was not called the son of the Most High, he did not have a throne, only a stool by the fire in a poor hut. Mother could doubt, but she did not doubt but silently waited. She kept the prophecies, but did not tell anyone about them, moreover, her Son "

The spiritual strain grew and the Cross of Mary became heavier. Some time after this death of his named father, Joseph, Jesus began to preach. The inhabitants of Nazareth, the numerous relatives of Mary, His named brothers, having heard about the sermon in Capernaum, declared Jesus crazy, blessed, laughed at him! So His prophetic words came true: "Those who are near me did not understand me!" (They, it is appropriate to say, are not written in the canonical texts of the Gospel.) Only the loving Mother remained nearby. She never lives

cast doubt on the words and deeds of the Son. Often, in confirmation of the spiritual separation of Mary from the Son, they cite a specific moment from the Gospel about marriage in Cana of Galea, which was attended by Jesus and his mother. In response to her request to support the wedding planner, since there was not enough wine, Mary already knew What her blessed Son could do! - Jesus allegedly answered rudely: "What do you want, Woman?! My Hour has not yet broken!" But that very point seems to be easily misunderstood.

We read further: “His mother said to the servants: whatever He tells you, do it! vessels with water. And they filled them to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw and bring it to the steward of the feast. And they carried it.” (*Gospel of John). When the steward tasted the water that had become wine,” John writes further, he went into ecstasy from the taste and reproached the groom for hiding the wine from the guests and not serving it without delay. “Thus Jesus laid the foundation for miracles in Cana of Galea and revealed His Glory And his disciples believed in him,” concludes John.

And we will add from ourselves: He laid the foundation, heeding the request of the Mother, who did not doubt for a minute that He would fulfill it. How firmly She said: "Whatever He tells you, do it!" - and not a shadow of resentment at the Son's response, because She understood that His Hour had not truly broken and all the main thing was in front. Wherever He went, she was everywhere, she was present at all His sermons, she heard the words of the most important of them, the Nagorno

And in the past everything to HER, as to the most faithful and devoted performer of God's Providence, - because, like no one else, Jesus knew the words of her answer to Gabriel: "May it be to me according to Your word, and I am the servant of the Lord" .. - these words are addressed: " My Mother and My brothers are those who will fulfill the Will of My Heavenly Father!” And who brought it to life better than Mary?! But Mary's Way of the Cross was not completed. A terrible picture awaited her: to see the Son on the Crucifixion!

We still do not know if she was among the disciples, the apostles, when they seized Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. Maybe not. The Son spared the Mother, and His disciples treated her with the deepest respect, arranged for the venerable Woman to spend the night, and they themselves went with the Teacher for an evening conversation.

He knew that she would be the last. It is possible that she also knew. According to legend, when the faithful disciple of Christ, John, ran to Mother ahead of time in the morning to say that Jesus was captured and would appear before the court of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, she sobbing fell on his chest: "To be my Son on the Crucifixion!" Confused, John was easily dumbfounded by horror. He accompanied Mary to Jerusalem, She walked in the crowd of those who accompanied Jesus to the execution, She saw Him carrying the Calvary Cross. Women were screaming and crying all around. Was she among them? Unknown.

Let's remember the biblical one: "And a sharp blade will pierce your soul" This figurative description can be just a little bit like Akhmatov's lines: And where Mother stood silently So no one dared to cast a glance! "Mary stood silently. When the suffering of Her Son stopped, she calmed down terrible tsunami, she knelt before the cross and begged the two disciples of Jesus-Joseph and

Nicodemus to ask permission from the authorities to remove him and bury him. Nicodemus, himself overwhelmed with grief, received this permission. Jesus was carefully taken down and his head laid on Mother's lap. The Orthodox Church keeps a tradition about her desperate weeping over the body of the Son. That very roar has been preserved in the form of a beautiful church song.

Whether She was among the first who saw the resurrection of Christ is not aptly known, but the evangelists - Mark, Luke, John - so reliably presented the picture of the Resurrection of Jesus, an empty tomb, that it seems that they wrote under the impression of a direct eyewitness story. And it could only be the Mother... And these enigmatic words in one of the Gospel texts: "In the morning Mary - Magdalene and the other Mary Who was this other Mary? bow down to his coffin and ashes!. Her joy, after the resurrection of Christ, was great, but no less great was her quiet sadness in his Earthly image. She lived in a warm and cordial house

John, whom Jesus loved more than all the disciples and whom, dying, he bequeathed to her as a Son, and Her to him as a Mother. She was surrounded by the love and reverence of the disciples of Christ, who every year became more and more. She encouraged, gave advice, helped in every need those who came to her, especially the sick and children.

There were no end of children next to her. They rejoiced at her hearty smile, the warmth of her hands, the kind, gentle words with which she showered each of them. She recalled the covenant of the Son, His simple words: "Let the children come to me." Every day she went to the place of his earthly rest - to read a prayer and petition the Lord for a speedy meeting, because both warmth and love still could not cure her of grief. During the day, she could be distracted by chores and affairs - quite large ones - so, being "in her advanced years," she visited and consecrated, together with John, the Greek peninsula of Athos. (Almost all of its inhabitants accepted Christian baptism, and now it is one of the Shrines of the Christian world.) And in the evenings there was one consolation - Prayer.

Under the influence of her stories, Luke began to compose one of the most beautiful and, if I may say so, scientific, Gospels: in it, like uncut dogs, he paid attention to how Jesus healed people, because Luke himself was a doctor. Dionysius the Areopagite, a historian who had long dreamed of seeing Mary and receiving a blessing from her hands - this, it is appropriate to say, was the goal of thousands and thousands of Christians! - visited Jerusalem and the dwelling of Mary in the misfortune of Zion. He wrote about this to the Apostle Paul: "None of the people can understand what I saw through not only

spiritual, but also bodily eyes. I testify by God that if I had not kept in my memory and newly enlightened mind your Divine teaching, then I would have recognized the Virgin Mary as the true God, and would have rendered to her the worship befitting the one true God. "He wrote, in addition, that" the mind and his heart was exhausted at the sight of the beauty of the Virgin Mary ", which was only an external imprint of her great soul and mind! And because at that time Mary was already countless years old. She received the news of her death smoothly three days before her, during prayers at the attack of the Olivet, where the disciples of her Son once gathered. She received a palm branch as a present from the messenger, which afterward, with weeping and hymns, was carried behind her coffin. Calmly, with an enlightened face, she came home, told everything to John, asked to send the disciples, the apostles - all were in different parts of the Earth - consoled him, the named Son, as only She could and could. Her departure was calm and bright, like a dream. She did not suffer. Having blessed everyone remaining on Earth, she calmly awaited a meeting Son. Her body was buried in one of the caves, but after three days it was not found there, except as once the camp of Christ. The apostles testified, all as the only one, that she appeared to them

during their evening meal, shining and tangible, and said almost the same words as Christ: "Rejoice! I am with you * all the days!" She was still the same light-blond woman, "dimensionally tall, a little above average, with a clear and penetrating look, her lips were like the color of a rose and full of pleasant speeches" (Nicephorus Callistus), which instantly warmed their orphaned hearts! They recognized her walk, her sound, her long beautiful fingers of an embroiderer, with which she blessed them. It was forbidden not to taste it! And then the apostles were completely convinced that death does not exist. And that Mother, as in her time, will start with requests to her Son, and He, as in her time, will fulfill them, because now His Hour has truly come, as the Conqueror of Death!

EPILOGUE.

So I told you what I knew, which, in fact, should be in charge of any of us. You can argue. You can not argue. You can trust, you can disprove. You can think. To this I invite you. But I am convinced of one thing: Mary could not be like everyone else! She was chosen by God for a special mission. And the high concept of this legendary mission - to be the Mother of the Son of God, she conveyed to her very death.

I will add that after Her Assumption, they began to distribute goods to the poor. They found only a handful of silver coins, two dresses and a belt. They gave it all to two poor widows. Officially, the cult of the Virgin Mary in the Christian world was established much later: in the 5th-6th century AD. Miracles from Her holy icons and through prayers addressed to Her continue to this day for true believers, from the heart and soul of Christians ..

_____________________________________

*In preparing the article, materials of the reprint reproduction of the book were used

Sophia Snesoreva "Earthly life of the Blessed Virgin" St. Petersburg, 1898.

(Published by "Upper Volga" 1997), as well as: canonical texts of the Bible, Gospels.

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